What does nilometer mean?
Definitions for nilometer
nilome·ter
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word nilometer.
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Wiktionary
nilometernoun
a device used to measure the rise of water in the Nile at the flood
Wikipedia
Nilometer
A nilometer was a structure for measuring the Nile River's clarity and water level during the annual flood season. There were three main types of nilometers, calibrated in Egyptian cubits: (1) a vertical column, (2) a corridor stairway of steps leading down to the Nile, or (3) a deep well with culvert. If the water level was low, the fertility of the floodplain would suffer. If it was too high, the flooding would be destructive. There was a specific mark that indicated how high the flood should be if the fields were to get good soil.Nilometers originated in Pharaonic times, were also built in Roman times, and were used until the Aswan Dam rendered them obsolete in the 1960s.
Webster Dictionary
Nilometernoun
an instrument for measuring the rise of water in the Nile during its periodical flood
Etymology: [Gr. ; Nei^los the Nile + measure: cf. F. nilomtre.]
Wikidata
Nilometer
A Nilometer was a structure for measuring the Nile River's clarity and water level during the annual flood season. Between July and November, the reaches of the Nile running through Egypt would burst their banks and cover the adjacent flood plain. When the waters receded, around September or October, they left behind a rich alluvial deposit of exceptionally fertile black silt over the croplands. The inundation – akhet in the Egyptian language – was one of the three seasons into which the Ancient Egyptians divided their years. It would be difficult to overstate the importance of the annual flood to Egyptian civilization. A moderate inundation was a vital part of the agricultural cycle; however, a lighter inundation than normal would cause famine, and too much flood water would be equally disastrous, washing away much of the infrastructure built on the flood plain. Records from Pharaonic times indicate that on average, one year out of every five saw an inundation that was either over-abundant or fell short of expectations. The ability to predict the volume of the coming inundation was part of the mystique of the Ancient Egyptian priesthood. The same skill also played a political and administrative role, since the quality of the year's flood was used to determine the levels of tax to be paid. This is where the nilometer came into play, with priests monitoring the day-to-day level of the river and announcing the awaited arrival of the summer flood.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Nilometer
nī-lom′e-tėr, n. a gauge for measuring the height of water in the river Nile: any river-gauge—also Nī′loscope.—adj. Nilot′ic.
Anagrams for nilometer »
linometer
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of nilometer in Chaldean Numerology is: 9
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of nilometer in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3
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"nilometer." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Oct. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/nilometer>.
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